It’s getting warm here in Melbourne.  Today it hit 90, which was a bit high for my weak winter constitution.  Our little backpacker hovel doesn’t have air conditioning, so I’m doing the next best thing and moving to New Zealand tomorrow!

My work contract ended last Friday, and in the past week I’ve wasted no time getting into vacation mode.  I spent the weekend in Sydney, and was surprised to discover that I actually like it up there.  Melbourne & Sydney have a fierce rivalry and usually folks like one or the other, but despite my love for Melbs I think I could really enjoy living in Sydney.  I managed to pack quite a bit into the weekend – everything from a 10k coastal walk to some Prokofiev at the Opera House.  And I even got to ride a ferry!

Back in Melbs, I spent a couple free days doing classy things like watching ethnographic films at ACMI and eating delicious meals.  Then it was off to the Great Ocean Road for 2 days, where I took the above photo.  Also, in what is beginning to be a trend, I took to the skies over the 12 Apostles, in a helicopter this time.  Don’t worry, though – despite all this height-related tourism, I’m not jumping on (off?) the skydiving bandwagon just yet.

It’s kind of funny to be excited to leave a city I really like, but I think New Zealand is going to be great fun.  And it certainly helps that I’m planning to come back here in a couple years.  I’d write about my thoughts on moving around at more length, but I think the heat has completely fried my brain.  Time to pack the carryon, I think, and drink some wine!

My final couple weeks in Seattle were pretty fun – had lots of great food, met up with tons of folks, and got my party on.  I did time my departure so as to be present for our house’s annual birthday/pride/etc extravaganza, and this year’s was certainly quite excellent.  Pre-party, a bunch of my friends came over & we held a powerpoint competition; everybody had 5 minutes and an assigned topic.  It sounds really nerdy (& probably is) but it was actually quite entertaining.  Enough alcohol was eventually consumed that the morning after the party, my brother woke up to find his stationery out and a stamp missing…

I also managed to see David Byrne again, this time at the Paramount – he clearly was informed about my trip and scheduled his latest Seattle tour stop for June 26th!  The show was great, and he even brought the Extra Action Marching Band up with him, which almost made up for the lack of encore-tutus.

DB and the Extra Action Marching Band, originally uploaded by lynnith.

I didn’t much enjoy packing & saying goodbye to everyone, not that those things are ever fun.  Goodbyes are not my strong suit – though I’m great at leaving!  It was particularly sad saying goodbye to Devo, who had been my unwitting funemployment BFF all month.  I have to say, though, it is an amazing feeling to look down and see all of your belongings for the next three years packed neatly into one rolling luggage, one backpack (not even half full), and one daypack.  It makes me never want to buy anything again – a feeling which will last as long as it takes me to find a camera shop and pick up a new circular polarizer!

Things I have done so far in LA: ordered food at a restaurant from a touch-screen, seen Public Enemies at a tiki-themed drive-in, gone swimming, shot hoops with a bouncy kickball, shopped at an American Tesco

This weekend it’s off to LA proper, where Leah is taking me to a stranger’s BBQ for the 4th, and then being awesome and letting me crash on her floor.  Sunday I’m gonna tool around the city with Joyce, where we will relive our London glory days and probably eat some awesome food in the process.  Monday, Steffi and I are taking an epic all-American roadtrip to celebrate my last day in the country.  We’re heading east, stopping in Palm Springs and at the Salton Sea but most importantly ending up at Salvation Mountain, a crazy technicolor man-made Jesus mountain in the middle of the desert.  I will report back on all that – certainly can’t imagine a better way to spend my last few days in the US!!

Before I sign off for the evening, I’d just like to point out that this post is about 1/5 the length of Sarah Palin’s resignation speech also.  Wink!